Our mission: To inspire stewardship of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.


Good Friday morning! Time is just crashing along on its way to the end of the year. With the closing of the year comes your last chance to make a contribution to PPFF for your 2017 tax deduction and make your plans for your First Day Hike come January 1. The list of possibilities keeps growing so keep checking your DCNR Calendar of Events bookmark for the latest and greatest information!

Did you see any sign of the Geminids meteor shower on Wednesday night? Nothing here - the sky was clear but the meteors were strangely absent. I understand it was pretty cloudy back home.

Since next Thursday is the Winter Solstice, get ready to post your pictures on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with #WinterSolsticeFun. You need to be outside!

Check out that tricky masthead photo up there from Yellow Creek State Park. It's a still from a short Facebook video posted late LAST winter. Take a view - it's a great 14 seconds!



Pam Metzger
Membership Coordinator


News of note

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Here's a tidbit I missed from the Book of Faces early this month. Check out the Weiser State Forest's Forestry Friday posts and you'll learn all kinds of neat stuff like, as in this case, how to make acorn flour. A photo of some pretty scrumptious looking brownies accompany the post.

Lovely article on the GoErie website on the special volunteers of the Over the Hill Gang at Oil Creek State Park. We've written previously about the group's devotion to the Gerard Hiking Trail - this year they have logged, as you will read, 2800 hours in support of maintenance projects on this 42-mile gem. What an amazing group of hardy volunteers!

Speaking of volunteers - hurray for us! The PPFF volunteer video shows up in this week's DCNR resource newsletter. Get inspired!


At work and play in the parks and forests

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It's going to be a chilly one in the Keystone State this weekend so bundle up and get out for some "it's almost winter" fun.

North

Oh, boy! Another holiday open house in a lovely venue! Tomorrow it's Sinnemahoning's turn. Hot cocoa and Santa from noon until 2:00.

South

The annual Little Buffalo Christmas Trail event kicks off this Sunday evening from 6:00 until 9:00. Visit every evening this week at the same time for holiday cheer and a bracing stroll!

East

Visit Tyler State Park on Monday evening or Tuesday morning for a "Hands On Heritage" session featuring candle-making. Monday for families, Tuesday for adults only and registration and a fee is involved for each session.

West

Audubon's annual Christmas Bird Count  takes place between the 14th of December and 5th of January this year. Jennings Environmental Education Center invites you to take part in the local Audubon chapter's observations tomorrow morning and learn more about this longest running citizen science endeavor.

No matter what region of the commonwealth you want to visit, our website Events and the DCNR Calendar of Events are great sources for things to see and do. Bookmark them!

Picture of the week

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This week's photo reminds me that it is past time for another visit to the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle. Lovely job, Julie Barton. Hope it was a relaxing visit - it certainly looks as though it should have been! Maybe the Yoga and Yarn Retreat on January 20 is the calm you need!


Take five for trivia

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I had a little bit of theme going with the past two trivia questions - Mr. Turkey's (one hesitates to say "eagle-eyed") vision can extend 270 degrees; and, from last week, Mr. Owl's head can swivel 270 degrees! One hesitates to say "what a hoot."

Go ahead. Groan all you like!

Just to be a brat I was going to ask what the coldest object in space is because on a random internet search I learned that (in 2009 at least) that would be the instruments aboard the European Space Agency's Planck spacecraft which had been cooled to minus 270 degrees (roughly) on their journey into the far reaches of the "sky." Planck was decommissioned in 2013 and I suspect it's even colder now. Brrr.

But onward! With Winter Storm Chloe having gotten The Weather Channel all riled up this week, tell me how many inches of snow equals one of rain?

Submit your answer for entry into our random monthly prize drawing. Each correct response per week goes into the hat and at the end of the month one lucky winner receives a PPFF goodie. The more weeks you enter, the better your chances!

In closing

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Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - contributions to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of PPFF may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling, toll-free within Pennsylvania, to 800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.


Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation is a proud member of EarthShare and is a Gold GuideStar Participant.

  

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